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In recent years the semantic map methodology has enjoyed increased popularity in cross-linguistic studies. Although there are various ways to make semantic maps, they all are attempts to visually represent cross-linguistic regularity in semantic structure. It has become increasingly clear that these attempts to map out linguistic categorization provide an empirically testable tool to the study of semantic variation across languages. The semantic map approach has further shown convergence with grammaticalization theory, as well as with the research using (implicational) hierarchies, as found in functional typology and optimality theory. Yet various aspects of the semantic maps approach remain unsettled and open to discussion: it is the goal of the workshop to address these topics, in order to contribute - both empirically and theoretically - to the development of the semantic map methodology.

Semantic maps: methods and applications

workshop to be held adjacent to the seventh meeting of the Association for Linguistic Typology on Saturday, 29 September 2007 in the Centre André-Georges Haudricourt (CNRS linguistic research units), Villejuif (Paris Metro area).

This workshop invites contributions related to the further understanding of the semantic map method. Possible topics include, but are not limited to:

- Status of semantic maps in linguistic theory; - Methods of building semantic maps from data; - Limits of the semantic map approach; - Possibilities for and problems of the interpretation of semantic map; - Relation between semantic maps and grammaticalization chains; - Presentation and discussion of particular semantic maps; - Scalability of the method to build semantic maps (e.g. the problem of the ''vacuous'' semantic maps, which might arise when more empirical data is included); - Implications of cross-linguistically rare phenomena for semantic maps; - In what way can the semantic map approach guide and be guided by the deductive (decompositional) approaches in (formal) semantics; - Relation between semantic maps and psycholinguistic research (i.e. issues of mental reality of the structures discovered by the semantic map methodology).

Call for Papers:

Send your one-page abstract to Michael Cysouw at the address below, preferably by email (in plain text or in PDF format) or as hard copy, to arrive no later than January 31st, 2007. Notification of acceptance is by March 1st, 2007.

The normal time allotted for presentation is 30 minutes plus 15 minutes for discussion.